I have a noob question about closing gates. If I'm about to close a gate and I chose to use my Fight stat instead of my Lore stat can I use my Shotgun's Combat modifier to add +4 to my Fight? (example: fight value = 4. Then 4 dice plus another 4 dice for the shotgun = 8 dice)
Or is closing a gate not considered combat (even though I'm using my Fight stat)?

In the rule book there is an example of how a +1 sneak modifier will help both sneak checks and evade checks... but a +1 to evade can only help evade and never help sneak. So this is the example that makes me think I cannot use my shotgun to close a gate... Since +1 Fight will help Fight checks and Combat checks but +1 Combat can only add to Combat and not Fight values.

I guess my problem is that I don't understand what closing a gate is...

When I first read that gates can be closed by either checking Fight or Lore it made me think that the Investigator has either enough knowledge(Lore) to understand the ancient workings of a gate to close it or if by Fight that the investigator is involved in an all out brawl to stop whatever is holding the gate open.
This might just be favor and have nothing to with anything.

I played it that I could not use my shotgun (combat modifier) to add to Fight when closing a gate.

But I'm still not sure...

TIA!

You got it correct, bonuses to fight will also increase combat, but bonuses to combat (i.e weapons) will not affect your regular fight checks. And closing a gate uses fight (or lore) not combat.

Right. Combat checks are a special kind of fight checks. Spell checks are special lore checks. Evade checks are special sneak checks. And horror checks are special will checks. Normally things that add to the special checks can not be used on the normal checks. Although Mists of R'lyeh works a bit oddly (but that's more of a wording errata).

Also your assumption of the flavor is probably right too. There's an encounter at the bank (from CotDP expansion) that goes

You see a customer going into seizures. If you want to try to help, make a Fight (-2) check to restrain him and keep him from hurting himself or a Lore (-2) check to correctly sedate him. If you fail, lose 2 Stamina as he lashes out. If you pass, the convulsions subside and a nun rushes to you side, saying, "Bless you, good sir, for helping." You are Blessed.

Which seems to be a similar case.

Maybe the Investigator grabs the fraying edges of reality around the edge of the Gate and muscles them together. Like a living suture.

Thanks guys. It's all coming together piece by piece
I'm sure I'll be posting some more noob questions my next play through.
FFG can really tax the brain!

allstar64 said:

BANG BANG BANG!

You calm yet?

Being able to use a fight check to close a gate always rubbed me the wrong way at first. Then figured it was the investigator physicly altering whatever conditions keept the gate open, like dragging a huge rock to break a circle or toppling a pillar that formed a doorway (hence no weapons being usable).

Picturing it this way my only problem is that Dynamite should have a dual function of being a gate closer (maybe a house rule where you can blast the gate out of existance without being able to seal it).

North_Wolf said:

Come on, it's more of a pulling a lever to close it. If you use Lore, you find the release switch and can just pull the lever without using any real force, if you use Fight, you force the lever to close the gate.

No, if you use Fight then you physically pull the gate shut like a bodybuilder. If you use Lore then you sing it a song and convince it to close on its own.

Avi_dreader said:

What about the "Fight +1"-skill and stuff? Do their special-features (i.e. the "Gain two dice for every clue-token") also work on combat checks as they are special fight-checks (and it says "to any Fight-check") or only "true" Fight checks as in an encounter?

All bonuses to Fight apply to Combat, but the reverse is not true. All bonuses to Will apply to Horror, but the reverse is not true, etc.

Okay, thanks for clarifying, that's something I was never really sure whether we did it right or not.

l was wondering today if l was playing this part of the game correctly, when l drew a Location encounter that used Fight (-1). After reading this thread l realized l was doing it wrong and not adding any weapons which added combat. This forum is great and l find most people on here are very helpful

alboy said:

Wait, if you were not adding items that added combat bonus then you were doing it the correct way. If you have a fight check, you don't add weapons to that check, only if you're doing a combat check.

l think l understand now.